With modem office equipment, documents for virtually any purpose can be easily prepared, transmitted, printed or copied as needed. For example, with a computer system, a user can generate and transmit documents with almost any format, including text and graphics as needed by the user. A printer can be connected to the user's computer, directly or through a network, to allow the user to generate a hardcopy or copies of the document. These printed documents can be of very high quality.
With a photocopier, a document can be quickly duplicated a number of times so that the user has as many copies as are needed. With a facsimile machine, or fax machine, the user can transmit and receive hard copies of documents. As used herein and in the appended claims, the term “printing device” is used broadly to include any device that outputs hard copies of a document. The input to the printing device may be, for example, another hard copy document that is to be duplicated, an electronic document transmitted electronically from a host computer or network, or a document transmitted electronically over a phone line by a fax machine or modem.
Each of these printing devices that output hard copies of documents typically include a supply of a print medium on which to print or copy. This print medium is usually paper, but can be a host of other print media including cardstock, construction paper, adhesive labels, transparencies, and the like. As used herein, the term “print media” or “print medium” is used broadly to denote any material on which a printer, fax machine, printing device or copier can output documents.
Typically, each of these printing devices that include a supply of a print medium also have a feeder device that automatically takes sheets of print media from the supply as needed for printing or copying by the printing device. When the supply of the print medium is exhausted, the user will have to replenish the supply. Typically, the printing device has a screen on which a message indicating the need to replenish the print medium supply is displayed. Other means of prompting the user to replenish the print medium supply can also be employed, such as sending a message to a host computer that the attached printer is out of paper.
It can be a time-consuming task to see that all available printing devices are constantly supplied with enough print media, particularly in an office setting where a number of users share printers, fax machines, photocopiers and other printing devices. It is frustrating to have a printing device run out of print media while executing a print or copying job. This is particularly frustrating when a user has a long print or copy job, starts the job on the printing device and then devotes attention to something else. The user may return expecting the print or copy job to be completed only to find that the printing device ran out of print media, e.g., paper, some time ago and has not completed the job.
Consequently, there is a need in the art for a means of monitoring the amount of print media available in a printing device. In particular, there is a need to indicate to a user who is initiating a print or copy job the amount of print media available to the printing device so that the user can know whether the print or copy job can or likely will be completed without replenishing the supply of print media in the printing device.